Visible index file panel



June 19, 1934. B. G. RAND VISIBLE INDEX FILE PANEL Filed May 9. 1932 INVENTOR Benjamin G. Rand Fig .2.

' 9 20 as 22 a;

. ATTORNEYS Patented June 19, 1934 VISIBLE INDEX FILE PANEL Benjamin G. Rand, North Tonawanda, N. Y., assignor to Remington Rand Inc., Buffalo,

Application May 9, 1932, Serial No. 610,159

7 Claims. (Cl. 129-16) This invention relates to visible card indexes or files.

In handling record cards of the type wherein card groups are arranged upon retaining strips of a file panel in internested offset overlapping relation with the margin of each card exposed for visible indexing, it is customary to transfer cards from one strip to another strip of the same panel or to a different panel and to add cards to the files from time to time. Thus considerable interchange and movement of the cards is required and certain difficulties have been experienced in maintaining the cards in their proper position and in properly positioning them when they are transferred to another location. 7 One of the purposes of this invention is to provide an improved assembly of file panel and card retaining strips that includes constructions for facilitating the movement and positioning of the cards and preventing them from being displaced after they have been positioned upon a. file panel. In addition, the file panel is so constructed that one of the panels may be removed from a series of vertical or superposed panels 125 without encountering projections or obstructions incidental to the removal of one of the panels from a series file. On the other hand, one of the panels may be inserted between two panels of a series flle and slip into alinement with those already in place Without experiencing any inconvenience. To this end the panel is provided with means on the retaining strip for preventing movement of the cards therefrom and the side of the panel opposite the retaining strip is in the a form of a substantially continuous smooth surface which is in one plane. Thus the cards and retaining strips on the other side of the panel slide conveniently upon the smooth surface of an adjacent panel.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is an elevation of an index file including a panel with card retaining strips mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a cross section, on a larger scale, taken substantially along the line IIII of Figul;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on a larger scale, taken substantially along the line III-III of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, on a larger scale,"

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a transverse strip utilized in conjunction with the construction shown in Fig; 1. I 1 An index or supporting panel 10 in the form of a rectangular sheet of material, such as a metal plate or the like, is reinforced at its lateral edges by means of beads 11 formedby reversely and forwardly folding or turning the marginal portions of the material. Likewise the lower edge of the panel is'reinforced by means of a head 12 formed by means'of turning the materialin' substantially the same manner as the lateral edges are turned. The lower corners of the panel are notched as indicated at 15, to facilitate formation of the beads and a reinforcing wire 16"en closed in the beads extends throughout the lateral and lower edges of the panel.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the upper marginal portion of the panel is foldedrearwardly to form a reinforcing bead 17. 'It will be observed that this bead is offset forwardly by bending the material along a horizontal'zone 18, in suchmanner that the rear surface of the bead 1'7 is in the same plane as the rear surface of the remaining portion of the panel. Thus, the entire rear surface of the panel is in substantially the same plane and it includes no appreciable obstructions upon which other files or panels might be caught in relatively moving superposed panels. However, this bending'of the material forms a shoulder 19 extending forwardly from the front or face of the panel. f

A plurality of card retainingstrips 20, each comprising a base 22 and offset card retaining flanges '23 running longitudinally thereof, are riveted or otherwise rigidly secured, as indicated at 25, to the panel, and are arranged vertically upon the latter, that is the strips are disposed substantially parallel to the lateral beads 11. The upper end of each strip slightly'overlaps the bead 17 and a pair of card stops'26' are pressed out from the upper end portions of the flanges 23. Each card stop has an inner or lower abrupt shoulder 27 and an outer or upper gradually curved or sloping and converging portion 28. The material of the panel joining the shoulder 19 and the panel body is pressed out to form projections 29 that serve tobridge the space between the shoulder 19 and the body ofthe panel and to provide a substantially smooth continuous surface from the outer extremity of the shoulder to the surface of the panel body portion. These projections are located just beneath the upper end of the flanges 23 on the card retaining strips. Each card retaining strip at its lower end is spaced from the lower bead 12.

Card stops'30 having upwardly turned integral fingers 32 are rigidly secured, as indicated at 33, to the panel on opposite sides of the lower ends of the strips and spaced from the latter. Immediately above each stop a plurality of beads 35 are pressed out from the body of the panel 10 and when the lower edges of groups of cards 36 are inserted beneath the fingers, such edges slide easily over the beads 35 and thence across the edges of the strips 30 without obstruction from the shoulders formed by the upper stop edges. The beads 35 are rounded or sloped gradually in order to effect this function.

Each card 36 is provided with a pair of central stencil tongues 37 extending toward each other 7 and normally slidably engaged beneath the flanges 23 from opposite directions. A group of cards, such as that shown at the right hand side of Fig. 1, can be slidably supported upon each strip 20 in internested offset overlapping relation; In transferring groups. of. cards from one strip to another or from one panel to another, a transfer strip 38 is employedwhich is provided with a base 39 and offset flanges 40 corresponding in shape to the base 22 and flanges 23, respectively, of the strip 20. However, the base 39 is slightly narrower than the base 22 and is adapted to seat therein. A hook 42 is struck out from the end portion of the strip 38 between the flanges 40, and by placing the transfer strip in the position shown in the central portion of Fig. 1, it can be inserted underneath the cards 36 or underneath any given number of cards, and then withdrawn with the cards automatically mounted thereon.

In this operation the hook slips-over the edge of the card and by withdrawing the strip the tongues 3'7v slide along the flanges 23 and off the upper end of the retaining strip 20. The flanges 40 of the transfer strip slide upon the card retaining strip 20 during the withdrawal of the cards and the stencil tongues 37 slide evenly and gently over the pressed out portions 29 without being .obstructed by the shoulder 19.; V

The cards can be transferred to another card retaining strip of the same or of a different panel by reversing the transfer strip or in other words using the opposite end from that before mentioned and inserting extendedtongues 43 of the flanges 40 underneath the lower ends of theflanges 23 and then sliding the group of cards, or as many cards as desired, upon the card retaining strip 20 from the lower end thereof. Thus an eflicient and rapid transfer of the cards-may be, accomplished and after the cards have been so transferred they are prevented from accidental displacement'vertically by the shoulder 27 of the card stops I26 and are evenly positioned at the lower, portion of the panel because of the fact that the lower edges and the lower cards slip over the beads 35 and rest beneath the fingers 32 of the card stops 30.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart'that the invention is not so limited but that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

I. An index card holder comprising a panel having one side in the form of a substantially unobstructed plane surface, certain edges of the panel beingturned laterally away fromsaid side to form marginal beaded portions projecting laterally from the surface of the panel opposite the plane surface, card retaining strips extending substantially from one of said beaded portions to another beaded portion projecting laterally from an opposite edge of the panel, the material of the panel being pressed out to form a substantially smooth continuous surface from the last-named beaded portion to the body portion of the panel adjacent one end of each strip.

2. An index card holder comprising a panel 'having one side in the form of a substantially unobstructed plane surface, certain edges of the panel being turned laterally from the opposite side to form marginal beaded portions extending laterally from, the surface of the panel opposite the plane surface, a card retaining strip extending substantially from one of said beaded portions to another beaded portion projecting laterally from the opposite edge of the panel, the material of the panel being pressed out to fill in the corner formed at the junction of the lastmentioned beaded portion adjacent the end of the strip whereby the cards may be removed from the strip without obstruction, from the beaded portion.

'3. An index card holder comprising a panel having one side in the form, of a substantially unobstructed plane surface, certain edges of the panel being turned laterally from the opposite side to form marginal beaded portions projecting laterally from the surface of the panel opposite the plane surface,- a card retaining strip extending substantially from one of said beaded portions to another beaded portion upon the op posite edge of the panel, the material of the panel being pressed out to fill in the corner formed at the junction of the last-mentioned beaded portion adjacent the upper end of the strip whereby the cards may be. removed from the strip without obstruction from the beaded portion, card stops on the panelsadjacent the lower end of the strip for positioning the cards upon the panel, and sloping projections adjacent the card stops to. facilitate even positioning of the cards against the lower,card-stops.v V 1 V 4. An index card holder comprising a panel having one side in the form of a substantially unobstructed plane surface, certain edges of the panel being turned laterally from the opposite side to form marginal beaded portions extending laterally from the surface ofthe panel opposite; the plane surface, card retaining strips extending substantially from one of said beaded portions to another beaded portion upon the op posite edge of. the panel, the material of the panel being pressed out to form substantially smoothcontinuous surfaces from the last-named beaded portion to the body portion of the panel adjacent one end of each strip, vertical card stop fingers on the panel adjacent the lower end of the strip for positioning cards upon the panel, and sloping projections adjacent the card stop to facilitate even fitting of the cards against the card stops.

5. An index card holder comprising a panel, a retaining strip on said panel having the side margins offset laterally to the panel to provide card retaining flanges for portions of the cards to engage behind the flanges and adjacent the panel, and card stop projections on said flanges at one end forming shoulders extending laterally from said flanges for normally retaining said cards on the retaining strip against slidable detachment from saidend.

6. An index card holder comprising a panel of sheet metal, aretaining strip secured on one side, a retaining strip secured to the last-mentioned side of said panel and extending between beads on opposite edges, offset card retaining flanges on the side edges of said retaining strip,

said panel being formed adjacent the card retaining flanges with portions filling the corner formed by one of said beads to provide for removal of cards from the strip without obstruction, and a laterally extending card. stop on one end of said strip and overlying one of the portions of said panel filling said corners.

BENJAMIN G. RAND. 

